Evaluate the Actions the Church Took to Halt the Spread of Protestantism and Their Effects. Were They Successful?

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In the early years of the Roman Inquisition, the activities of the Inquisition were relatively peaceful and were restricted almost exclusively to Italy. When Cardinal Carafa became Pope Paul IV in 1555, he immediately urged a vigorous pursuit of suspects[21]. His list of suspects did not exclude bishops or even cardinals of the Catholic Church. Pope Paul IV tasked the congregation to draw up a list of books which he felt offended faith or morals of the Catholic ideology[22]. This resulted in the creation of the first Index of Forbidden Books in 1559[23]. This index included books that were considered to be theologically inaccurate and harmful to the Catholic ideology, as well as all the translations of the New Testament in the vernacular[24].

The most famous victim of the Roman Inquisition was would come in the seventeenth century and his name was Galileo Galilee. Galileo was arrested and brought up on charges before the court of Inquisition in February of 1633 for publishing his book called ‘The Great Systems of the Universe’[25]. His book supported the Copernican/Kepler view of the motion of the planets, which was that the Sun, not Earth, was at the centre of the solar system and the Earth orbited around the sun. Galileo was warned in 1616 by Cardinal Bellarmine to remain outside of the debate regarding whether or not the earth orbited the sun. When Galileo was brought before the Roman Inquisition in 1633, he was imprisonment for life[26]. His sentence was later softened by the pope to house arrest[27].

Many Catholic advocators attempt to downplay the significance of the Roman Inquisition by saying that relatively few individuals were directly affected/punished during the period of the Roman Inquisition. The debate around the number of victims who were affected by the Inquisition continues to this day. Conservative estimates place the count of affected individuals in the millions[28]. This estimate does not include the vast numbers of individuals who were slaughtered in the various wars and conflicts initiated by the political motives of the Vatican over the centuries[29].

The Council of Trent clarified three important theological principals throughout the various sessions; they included redefining Catholic doctrine, tightening discipline, and encouraging proper devotion[30]. In terms of doctrine, the Council of Trent clarified and redefined many doctrines of the Catholic faith, especially those that were challenged by the Protestants. The Council was able to defined and explain the seven sacraments, justification by faith, and the use of Latin in mass[31]. The Creed, which was written throughout the various sessions of the Council of Trent and published in the final session of the council, emphasized and clarified these doctrines, as well as other doctrine, including the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, transubstantiation, Purgatory, the authority of the pope and the power and sale of indulgences[32]. The Council of Trent outlined very clearly what it meant to be a Catholic and the ideology all Catholics must follow. The Roman Catechism, which was printed in 1566, helped to spread the Council's reformed doctrinal teachings[33].

The Council of Trent met on and off from 1545 to 1563[34]. The dates of the sessions spanned over three periods – the first session took place from 1545-1547, the second session took place from 1551-1552, and the last session took place between the years 1562-1563[35]. The Council met for only four out of those eighteen years. The reason behind the lack of meetings of the Council was most often due to the disagreement between the pope and the emperor over the location of the Council and the subjects it was to discuss to reform[36]. There was also a typhus epidemic that broke out in Trent, leading to a brief convocation in Bologna[37]. There were two issues the Council met to address - reform and heresy.

The Council of Trent continually worked to correct the practices that were rampantly abused in the Catholic Church by tightening up discipline. The Council eliminated the offices of indulgence sellers and approved the bishops to establish a seminary system, in which each district received a seminary (a school) to train young men for a future priesthood job[38]. Students in these seminaries were taught languages such as Greek and Latin, as well as logic, philosophy, and theology[39]. They were taught how to study and understand the scripture and preach the teachings of the scripture to others[40]. The goal was to create educated priests who were faithful, celibate, prayerful, passionate, and pure-hearted and could pass on these traits on to their parishioners[41].

Finally, the Council of Trent clarified and defined the once murky area regarding correct Catholic devotion. In the Middle Ages, devotion tended to be displayed in an exterior manner and included various superstitious[42]. The Council emphasized the need for Catholics to grow in their spiritual lives internally and purify their minds and hearts[43]. For instance, the bishops called for more missals and devotionals so that Catholics could experience mass in their hearts[44]. They also advocated for the Rosary, other Marian devotions and Eucharistic worship[45]. The bishops of the Counter Reformation firmly and clearly defined the Catholic faith and life and swiftly, and forcefully, responded to their opponents[46]. This step was necessary initiate in order to guide the Catholic Church through the difficult times of the mid sixteenth century and to proclaim and preserve its unique identity. The Council of Trent opened the door for the Holy Spirit to blow through the Catholic Church, revitalizing it and spreading Jesus Christ's message of salvation to Catholics and non-Catholics in new and unique ways.

The Council of Trent achieved a definitive degree of success due to the fact that the Catholic Church withstood the turbulence invoked by the Protestant revolt while maintained its core beliefs. Moreover, the vast number of individuals who had converted to Protestantism during the Protestant revolt converted back to Catholicism. Furthermore, the Pope’s role was reasserted as the head of the Catholic Church and the authority of the Catholic Church, as an institution, was reasserted[47]. Additionally, the revival of interest in the education of priests was given an added importance. Plus, places where Catholics had retained control of the governments, Protestants became small minorities there in time.

The Council of Trent was no exception to the number of failures it brought with its successes in its run. The religious divisions as a direct result of the Protestant revolt became a permanent reality in European culture. Additionally, historians have speculated that the Protestant revolt may have led to a gradual